ISSN 1449 - 3551

12 - 14 March 2010

Darling Harbour

Programme Brochure

b h a v a n a u s t r a l i a . o r g

Presented By

AUSTRALIA

Proudly Supported By

www.incredibleindia.org

S t a t e B a n k o f I n d i a , S y d n e yw w w. s b i s y d . c o m . a u

Holi Mahotsav Aknowlegdements

Holi Mahotsav the grand festival of friendship and harmony is celebrated culture, colours and folk and fun. This day is specially chosen to forgive ‘foes’ and forget old difference to become friends again. People from all castes and religions come together to enjoy the spirit of Holi. It harbingers the arrival of spring and new harvest. In India during Holi days one can see colours of joy everywhere.

We decided to celebrate Holi in Australia in a most prominent location constantly visited by people from every community. Our obvious choice was Darling Harbour where flow of people never stops and we wanted it to be free for everyone to join in the festivities.

This year we are celebrating Holi Mahotsav over three days of festivities from the Aquashell in cockle Bay Wharf and the delicious Indian vegetarian food stalls, craft stalls and marquees in the Palm Grove and convention Centre Forecourts

The festivities of three days start on Friday evening with ‘Images of India portrayed through Kathak dance repertoire by Olga followed by the ever so lively Bhangra dances by Platinum Bhangra and two hours of Indian DJ - Sydney’s Party Guru Raj Khanna presents an absolutely banging Bollywood extravaganza!

Saturday is celebrated with spiritual extravaganza, the highlight being Rath Yatra (the journey of the hand-pulled Chariot of Lord Jagannätha) through the busy streets of Sydney, culminating into Darling harbour and staying at the Palm Grove, courtesy of ISKCON Sydney our partner in peace and spirituality. Yoga demonstrations are provided by Yoga in Daily Life, another of our partners in peace. And of course there are dances and fashion show and musical performances.

Sunday is a long day of cultural extravaganza with all sorts of dances from India and other cultures, musical bands, fashion show. Nearly two hundred artists join us in presenting this marvel. And of course the special attraction of playing with colours – for everyone who wishes to participate.

We are indeed immensely grateful to all those who have travelled with us in past seven years in turning Holi Mahotsav an Indian festival of harmony and friendship into mainstream grand Australian festival of harmony today. Australian community has made Holi part of our evolving cultural calendar. Our special thanks are due to Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority, India Tourism Sydney and ISKCON Sydney who agreed to and encouraged our plans for Holi Mahotsav in 2003 and have remained with us since then. The Premier of New South Wales has been supporting Holi Mahotsav since 2005 with grants from the Community Relations Commission for a Multicultural NSW. We are grateful to City of Sydney and City Central Command of NSW Police who have greatly supported our Street Procession / Rath Yatra every year since 2005. Our sincere thanks and gratitude are due to them.

This year Lebara Mobile have joined us a major sponsor. We express our heartfelt gratitude to Lebara Mobile and other sponsors: Incredible India, State Bank of India-Sydney, Vision Asia and The Indian Link. We are grateful to our media supporters The Indian, Indus Age, The Indian down under, Punjab Times, who join us in making this 2010 festival even brighter and diverse.

The stalls during the Holi Mahotsav pep up the festival but adding variety to the event. This year stalls we have limited the number of stalls but not he variety of food and craft.

Holi Mahotsav could not have been possible without the selfless untiring support of over 400 artists from a large number of Dance academies and cultural groups. We bow before and salute them with humility and greatest gratitude. Our gratitude is due to the wonderful masters of ceremonies.

Bhoji Watts and Manju Chand have been managing the stage and production supported by Reena Doshi and other graceful ladies every year since inception. Without these wonderful ladies the Holi Mahotsav could not have happened. We salute them too with humility and gratitude and pride. We are thankful to our dedicated staff and volunteers led by the untiring dedication of Utkarsh Doshi. This year the youthful groups led by d, Anchal Saxena, Rajesh Katakdhond, Ryan D’Lima, Deepti Pathak and Dinesh Raman have joined us in this monumental assignment; we are grateful to them.

- Gambhir Watts, President Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Australia.

Performances 12 March»» Olga»Chepelianskaia

Performance» Details: Images of India portrays various colorful and dismaying aspects of India through Kathak dance repertoire, a classical and creative dance of Northern India. Three key aspects of Indian life - spirituality, love and festivity - are depicted

»» Platinum»BhangraGroup»Coordinator:»Harinder»Kaur»and»Manu»Singh

Performers: Manu Singh, Bulla Singh, Devinder Sandhu, Preet Singh

Performance»Details: Bhangra Dances

»» DJ»by»Raj»KhannaDhol Players dressed in traditional outfits (Drums with traditional beats), Bollywood DJs

Performances 13 March»» Yoga»in»Daily»Life

Group»Coordinator:»Bhakti»Johnson

Performance»Details: Yoga Demonstrations

»» Songs»by»Gurjot»Singh

»» Samvar»Dance»ClassGroup»Coordinator:»Samiksha

Performers:» Aaryan Parmar, Deeti Jani, Jay Mehta, Kanishka Desai, Meet Vyas, Paritosh Sharma, Riya Patel, Samarth Shah, Varishi Shah.

Performance»Details: Dances on songs Zoobie Doobie and Tararumpum

»» GhaziyaGroup»Coordinator:»Kristie»Wolf,»Devi»Mamak»(teacher)

Performers:» Victoria Walker, Sara Haidinger and Kirstie Wulf

Performance»Details: Tribal Belly Dance Style performance. Performing “Hip Shaker”, “Spanish Galleon”, “Setrak”, “Beastie Bys’, “Joi”

Olga Chepelianskaia

Platinum Bhangra

Gurjot Singh

Raj Khanna

»» Camp»Quality»YogaGroup»Coordinator:»Heidi»Bock

Laughter»Yoga»Demonstration

»» Vishvaas»production»bandGroup»Coordinator:»Dinesh»Ramanan

Performers:» Chiranth Wodeyar Gana Aruneswaran, Pratamesh Datar, Prabanjan Datar, Aditya Prasad, Liam Holley

Performance» Details: Musical Performance (1) Mahatma (Gandhi Title Track), (2) Akayla Asoka (Asoka Title Track)

»» Isckon» temple» Kirtan» Demonstration,»Speeches»and»Discusions»followed»by»Cultural»Bon-Fire»Ceremony.

»» Hola»MahollaGroup»Coordinator:»Preetraj»Singh,»»Moninder»singh

Performance» Details: Gatka, An Ancient martial art used by the Sikh Gurus to help defend the ‘basic human right’ to live and let live not only for Sikhs but also for people from other faiths. Gatka is considered to be spiritual as well as a physical exercise.

»» AXR»Youth»BandGroup»Coordinator:»Anchal»Saxena

Performers:Gulnav»Hora, Pranish Rai, Prashant Rai, Gagan Singh, Anchal Lal

»» Mahmood»Khan»FunkGroup»Coordinator:»Mahmood»Khan

Performers:»Anthony Lee, grace coburn, isac hayward, joe manton, maharshi raval, mahmood khan, mike chin, naomi csoke, phil sander, ron manton, shaun tarring, tamasin howard

Performance»Details:»World»

»» Priya»Deewan»Dance»AcadamyGroup»Coordinator:»Priya»Deewan

Performers:»Rhea, Kavisha, nikita , shivani, sonali, sohana, satchi, radikha, Priyanka

Performance» Details: Dance on Just Do It (Chance Pe Dance) and a Bollywood Medly

Samvar Dance Classes

Ghaziya

Mahmood Khan Funk

Priya Deewan Dance Acadamy

AXR Youth Band

»» AXR» entertainment» Fashion» Show» by»SareehavenGroup»Coordinator:»Anchal»Saxena

Performers: Aahuti Dasour, Nikita Krishnan, Ruchi Arora

Saadia Miah, Vanita Balani, Linda

»» AXR»Entertainment»-»Element»Five»bandGroup»Coordinator:»Anchal»Saxena

Performers:»Arjun Nidigallu, Mandeep Singh, Prathamesh Datar, Shankar Athreiya, Prabhanjan Datar

Performances 14 March»» Dance»Group»Name:»Gurjot»singh»

Group»Coordinator:»Gurjot»singh

Performers:»names: Gurjot Singh

Performance»Details:»Singing

»» Ritika»Satsangi»and»Group»Group»Coordinator:»»Ritika»Satsangi

Performers:»Sona Garg, Ritika Satsangi,Niyati Gajjar, Dipali Goel, Shivank Goel, Aditi Dala, Sanya Dalal

Performance»Details: Bollywood Classical Dances

»» IABBV»Hindi»SchoolGroup»Coordinator:»Mala»Mehta

Performers:» Shriya Kamboj, Thripura S. Hariharan, Pooja S. Hariharan, Shirali Garga, Khushboo Mahajan, Shagun Panwar, Deepti Virmani

Performance» Details: medley of two short Song Remixes “Holi Re” & “Gunji Angana Mein Shehnai” and Bhangra

»» Neetal»Desai’s»Gujarati»Dance»GroupGroup»Coordinator:»»Neetal»Desai

Performers:» Isha Desai, Sonia Giga, Rajsi Vyas, Aalapi Shreekumar, Manasi Shelat, Niyati Desai, Pavitraa Hathi, Aashka Desai, Stuti Bhatt, Urja Bhatia, Dhanvi Dave, Neha Patel, Sonali Malhotra, Pavitraa Hathi, Divyansha Kumar, Michelle Khurana, Anushka, Nikita Jain, Dhatri Bellave, Divya Saxena, Ria Bhargava, Aananya Deshpande, Isha Baldeo, Mugdha Ghosh, Jannavi Rao, Aashna Khanna

Performance»Details: Traditional Gujarati Garba and Duha

Gurjot Singh

Ritika Satsangi and Group

IABBV Hindi School

Fashion Show by Sareehaven

Element Five (V) Band

»» Bollystar»Dance»SchoolGroup»Coordinator:»Neha»Madaan

Performers:»names: Neha Madaan, Monica Mookhy, Vidhi Keerthana, Divya, Amisha, Diya, Diantha.

Performance»Details: Semi Classical Bollywood Dancing

»» Azif»and»Las»hermanas»Tribal»Belly»DancingGroup»Coordinator:»Sandy»Burrow

Performers: Sandy Burrow, Karen Kelly, Sharrie Hannan, Bec Slade, Sue Kennedy, Jodie , Stewart, Katie, Ruza Milkovic and Merilyn Hyde.

Performance»Details: Tribal Belly Dances.

»» Dance»Group»Name:»Mango»Dance»StudioGroup»Coordinator:»Farah»Shah

Performers:

Performance»Details: A wide variety of Bollywood Dances from Performers of all ages.

»» Aboriginal»Smoke»Ceremony»Group»Coordinator:»»Peta»Strathan

Performance»by»»Max»Harrison

»» VIP»Session

»» Aboriginal»Performance»Group»Coordinator:»»Peta»Strathan

Performance»by»»Max»Harrison

»» Contemperary»Dance»Acedemy.Group»Coordinator:»Shwetambra»Barar»/»Anita»Barar

Performers:»names: Aishani Mahabir, Alisha Behl, Angelina White, Anoushika Ginni, Anusha Kumar, Anushwa Ravalji, Harshini Vaghela, Inaya Vhora, Isabella White, Ishaita Katyal, Naomi, Navpreet kaur, Nikhita Kumar, Nikita Naidu, Nikita Nandoskar, Niyati Desai, Nolene Sharma,Paris Ali, Prisha Singh, Rachna Deshpande, Rhea Varandani, Rishika Mahabir, Rohini Kamath, Ruhee Dixit, Sanaa Vhora, Sandhya Menon, Sangeeta Menon, Sanjana Chand, Sanjana Nagesh, Saya Varandani, Sharmin Zaman, Shauna Abel, Shivani Raman, Simar Batra, Srishti Yadav, Tina Kumar, Uma Dawson, Yasmin Zaman

Performance» Details: Mix of Semi-Classical Bollywood and Fusion Dances.

Bollystar Dance School

Azif and Las hermanas

Mango Dance Studio

Neetal Desai’s Gujarati Dance Group

»» Karen»McPhillips»School»of»highland»dancingGroup»Coordinator:»Karen»Macphilis

Performers:»Lauren Caunter, Emily Carr, Emily McGuire, Madeline James, Michaela Ng

Performance»Details: Traditional dances from Scotland

»» Camp»Quality»YogaGroup»Coordinator:»Heidi»Bock

Laughter»Yoga»Demonstration

»» Nupur»Dance»GroupGroup»Coordinator:»Manjusha»De»&»Jinnie»De

Performers:» Suhani, Arianna, Anisha, Parvati, Mahima, Mahika, Palak, Junita,Sanjana, Anika, Jenny, Megha, Jinnie, Parisa, Shilvana, Sharmila, Upasna, Aditi, Jyosthna, Junita, Jerestene, Sarah, Vani, Aarushi, Akshita, Soumya, Prashant, Rishab,Simi, Rani,Devika, Ritika, Sareena, Claudia

Performance» Details: Fusion Bollywood with aspects of classical styles and the last dance item is Bollywood/Bhangra

»» Ghungaroo»academy»of»music»and»danceGroup»Coordinator:»Kanan»J»shah

Performers:»Kanan J Shah, kanan shah, vinita, Kavita, richa pandey

Performance» Details: Rajasthani Group Dance and Semi-Classical Folk

»» Geetanjali» School» of» Dance» and» Performing»ArtsGroup»Coordinator:»Sharmila»Maitra.

Performers:»Esha Arora, Sonel Arora, Priya Basu, Sheekha Chalise, Arkita Chowdhury, Debi Chowdhury, Debolina Chowdhury, Ritika Chowdhury, Ria Danwer, Alisha DasGupta, Arya Goswami, Kavya Gupta, Shuchi Gupta, Medha Gupta, Trisha Paul, Emil Rayan, Erika Rayan, Erina Rayan, Anushuya Roy, Amy Shah, Diya Sharma, Shyrin Sharma, Vidhushi Sharma, Ragini Sood, Shruti Yardi

Performance» Details: “Ocean of Love” - Semi Classical Fushion Dance, “Bhalo Koria” - Bangladesh Folk Songs, “Saiya re”- Semi-Classical Bollywood Dance, “Kashmiri Folk and a Dance Medly

»» Tokyo»Love-InGroup»Coordinator:»Michael»Chin

Performers:»Yamha Sarshar, Sangeet Mishra and Michael Chin

Contemperary Dance Acedemy

Karen McPhillips School

Nupur Dance Group

Geetanjali School of Dance

Performance»Details: Fusion between Indian Classical music, contemporary beats and world music.

»» Folk»and»FunGroup»Coordinator:»Raju»Sarai

Performers:»

Performance»Details: Bhangra Dances

»» Master»of»CeremoniesAnchal» Saxena,» Dyasmin» Sandu,» Priya» Rao,» Sophil» and»Soiam»Raja

»» Stage»ManagersBhoji» Watts,» Manju» Chand,» Reena» Doshi,» Rajesh»Katakdhond,»Jimmy»Talatia

»» Staff»and»VolunteersUtkarsh» Doshi,» Jenny» Ren,» Sudhir» Das,» Zsolt» Naggy,»Bushra,» Emilie,» Anchal» Saxena,» Ryan» D’Lima,» Deepthi»Pathak,»Veena»Sashikumar,»Dinesh»Raman,»Gautam»Sehgal,»Rinul» Pashankar,» Hitashi» Gohil,» Saurabh» Arora,» Gagan»Puri,»Orsi»Toth,»Raghu,»Sumedh,»Anita»Nath,»Nitin»Navale,»Amit»Dongre,»Robin»Dmello,»Pratik»Patel,»Jishiv»Patel,»Ravi»Pandya,»Bhavesh»Savaliya

»» Photogrphers:»Gred»Dickens,»Misa»Okumura.

»» Video»graphers»:»Will»Walquist,»Zsolt»Naggy,»Arvind»Shukla,»Nitisha»Tripathi

Masters»of»Ceremonies

Food»Stall»HoldersChandni Chowk Pty Ltd Stay Cool Tropical SnoFine Event Indian Cuisine Taj Indian Sweets and RestaurantSri Annapoorna Restaurant & Catering Taza Tandoori Restaurant

Merchandise»Stall»HoldersAustralian Association of Yoga in Daily Life Konnectv Pty LtdAXR Entertainment UAE Exchange Australia Pty. Ltd.Gocool Sugar cane Juicery Vision Asia Pty. Ltd.Indian Link India Tourism Sydney

Marquee»Stall»HoldersLebara Mobile Saileen FashionsISKCON Temple Marquee Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Australia

Folk and Fun

PRIME MINISTER

C ANBERR A

MESSAGE FOR HOLI MAHOTSAV SOUVENIR ISSUE OF

BHAVAN AUSTRALIA The Holi Mahotsav festival of friendship and harmony, now in its eighth Australian year, has become a mainstream Sydney festival celebrating Indian culture through dance and music performances, cultural workshops, meditation sessions, food and merchandise stalls. Around 250,000 people of Indian heritage live in Australia, and we value their contribution to our society, our economy and our nation. These people-to-people ties are an integral part of the strong and growing relationship between Australia and India. Congratulations to the organisers for their efforts in continuing this great event. I wish readers of of Bhavan Australia magazine and all those attending Holi Mahotsav an enjoyable and memorable day.

The Honourable Kevin Rudd MP Prime Minister of Australia

P.O.BOX 1319, ASHFIELD NSW 1800, AUSTRALIA Branch: 2, Stewart Street, Dundas, NSW 2115

VEDANTA»CENTRE»OF»SYDNEY»(a»branch»of»the»Ramakrishna»Math»and»Ramakrishna»Mission,»India)»

2»Stewart»Street,»Ermington»NSW»2115»Tel:»02»8197»7351»

Email: vedasydney@gmail.com.»www.vedantasydney.org»

Mr.Gambhir Watts PresidentBharatiya Vidya Bhavan Sydney

Dear Mr.Watts

We are glad to learn that the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan is organizing the Holi Mahotsav on the 14th March 2010.

Holi is a celebration of the different colours denoting variety but yet reminding us of the unity behind it. Mythologically, it is the burning of evil in the all consuming fire like Holika (the demoness) did and protecting the purity of the virtuous (like Prahlada). Today’s world needs the message of Unity in Diversity and the victory of Virtue and other spiritual values very much.

May the inspiration of this great festival help us to achieve peace is our humble prayer.

With regards

Swami Sridharananda President

His»Holiness»Periyavals»of»Kanchimutt»has»blessed»the»Holi»Mahotsav

March, 2010

Blessed Selves, Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The significance of Holi is that victory of good over evil is achieved through unshakable devotion for the Lord. That same unshakeable devotion is required today if humans are to live sustainably on this planet and achieve lasting world peace.

Spirituality is the only answer to the world’s problems and revival of humanity’s ethical and spiritual values is the only guiding force that will affect the necessary change we want for humanity and Mother Earth. To re-awaken and re-commit to maintaining these values is an obligation required by everyone if we are to achieve the ultimate victory of good over evil. If we want peace in the world, we must first have peace within. There must be mutual respect, love, understanding and compassion, not only for other humans, but also for all of nature and the creatures that live therein. Such mutual recognition is not bought in the market place, it can only be cultivated within by treating others as we wish to be treated. Only this will awaken the sense of universal accountability. A Yogi would say, “Renounce and limit your needs”. Renounce greed, renounce anger, renounce duality and narrow-thinking. Open the heart and give. Understand another’s feelings, understand another’s life situation and grant them their rights. Give them happiness and forgiveness. Never violate anyone physically, mentally or emotionally. Never be the cause of another’s tears, since all beings are the embodiment of God. The Vedas declare that one God has created this world. All creatures therefore are the children of one Creator and all living beings are part of the one universal family. That is why the aim of every individual should be to create a responsible and caring society so that all may experience the beauty of life and realise God. As Bhagwan Sri Deep Narayan Mahaprabhuji said, “Love each and every living being as least as much as you love yourself”. Thank you Mr. Gambhir Watts, President of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Australia and all sponsors and participants, for organising and supporting this meaningful event of Holi Mahotsav 2010. With Blessings of the Almighty

Vishwaguru Mahamandaleshwar Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda Founder of Yoga in Daily Life, the System

International Sri Deep Madhavananda Ashram Fellowship Schikanedergasse 12/13, A-1040 Vienna AUSTRIA

Telephone: +43.1.586 7445 www.yogaindailylife.org www.swamiji.tv

GLOBAL»ORGANIZATION»OF»PEOPLEOF»INDIAN»ORIGIN»(GOPIO),»INC.»

USA»Tel:»818/708-3885»E-mail:»gopio-intl@sbcglobal.netWeb:»www.gopio.net

March 6, 2010

Gambhir Watts Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Sydney, Australia

Dear Mr. Watts,

I am glad to know that Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Australia, is organizing Holi Mahotsav – the age old Indian festival of colors – at the well known Australian venue of Darling Harbor. It is heartening to know that the mainstream Australian communities will join the Indian Australian community in tens of thousands in this remarkable celebration. I congratulate you on your leadership role for the event and commend you for providing a forum for introduction of India’s culture to Australians.

Holi festival has an ancient origin and many legends & stories are associated with it. Holi celebration marks the triumph of 'good' over 'bad' and is celebrated with a lot of pomp and pageantry through the width and breadth of India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka irrespective of caste, creed or religion. Sikhs celebrate a similar festival known as Hola Mohalla.

Holi, heralds spring in India. It is also known as Phagwa after the name of the monthPhalgun, which usually falls in the later part of February or March. Holi celebration has also become an important festival in many countries where Indian Diaspora had gone and settled, such as Suriname, Guyana, South Africa, Trinidad, Mauritius, Fiji, some countries in Europe, Canada, USA, Australia, New Zealand and others.

I convey my greetings to the Indian Australian community and members of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan for celebrating the Holi festival in a spirit of fellow feeling and friendship. I also admire the commitment and dedication with which you and the Holi festival committee have been organizing the event, year after year, for the past 7 years.

Respectfully,

Inder Singh, Chairman GOPIO International

T he colourful festival of Holi is celebrated on Phalgun Purnima which comes in February end or early March. Holi festival has an ancient

origin and celebrates the triumph of ‘good’ over ‘bad’. The colourful festival bridges the social gap and renews sweet relationships. On this day, people hug and wish each other ‘Happy Holi’.

Holi celebration begins with lighting up of bonfire on the Holi eve. Numerous legends and stories associated with Holi celebration make the festival more exuberant and vivid. People rub ‘gulal’ and ‘abeer’ on each others’ faces and cheer up saying, “bura na maano Holi hai”. Holi also gives a wonderful chance to send blessings and love to dear ones wrapped in a special Holi gift.

History of Holi

Holi is an ancient festival of India and was originally known as ‘Holika’. Historians also believe that Holi was celebrated by all Aryans but more so in the Eastern part of India. It is said that Holi existed several centuries before Christ. The festival used to be a special rite performed by married women for the happiness and well-being of their families and the full moon (Raka) was worshiped. The full moon festival of Holika gradually became a festival of merrymaking, announcing the commencement of the spring season.

Reference in Ancient Texts and Inscriptions

Besides having a detailed description in the Vedas and Puranas such as Narad Purana and Bhavishya Purana, the festival of Holi finds a mention in Jaimini Mimansa. A stone inscription belonging to 300 BC found at Ramgarh in the province of Vindhya has mention of Holikotsav on it. King Harsha, too has mentioned about Holikotsav in his work Ratnavali that was written during the 7th century.

The famous Muslim tourist, Ulbaruni too has mentioned about Holikotsav in his historical memories. Other Muslim writers of that period have mentioned, that Holikotsav was not only celebrated by the Hindus but also by the Muslims.

Reference in Ancient Paintings and Murals

The festival of Holi also finds a reference in the sculptures on walls of old temples. A 16th century panel sculpted in a temple at Hampi, capital of Vijayanagar, shows a joyous scene of Holi. The painting depicts a Prince and his Princess standing amidst maids waiting with syringes or pichkaris to drench the Royal couple in coloured water.

A 16th century Ahmednagar painting is on the theme of Vasanta Ragini—spring song or music. It shows a royal couple sitting on a grand swing, while maidens are playing music and spraying colours with pichkaris.

There are a lot of other paintings and murals in the temples of medieval India which provide a pictorial description of Holi. For instance, a Mewar painting (circa 1755) shows the Maharana with his courtiers. While the ruler is bestowing gifts on some people, a merry dance is on, and in the center is a tank filled with coloured water. Also, a Bundi miniature shows a king seated on a tusker and from a balcony above some damsels are showering gulal (coloured powders) on him.

Legends and Mythology

In some parts of India, specially in Bengal and Orissa, Holi Purnima is also celebrated as the birthday of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (A.D. 1486–1533). However, the literal meaning of the word ‘Holi’ is ‘burning’. There are various legends to explain the meaning of this word, most prominent of all is the legend associated with demon king Hiranyakashyap.

Hiranyakashyap wanted everybody in his kingdom to worship only him but to his great disappointment, his

Holi Mahotsav-Parveen

son, Prahlad became an ardent devotee of Lord Narayana. Hiaranyakashyap commanded his sister, Holika to enter a blazing fire with Prahlad in her lap. Holika had a boon whereby she could enter fire without any damage on herself. However, she was not aware that the boon worked only when she enters the fire alone. As a result she got burned completely, while Prahlad was saved by the grace of the God for his extreme devotion. The festival, therefore, celebrates the victory of good over evil and also the triumph of devotion.

Legend of Lord Krishna is also associated with this play of colours as the Lord started the tradition of this play with colours by applying colours on his beloved Radha and other gopis. Gradually, the play gained popularity with the people and became a tradition. There are also a few other legends associated with the festival—like the legend of Shiva and Kaamadeva and those of Ogress Dhundhi and Pootana. All depict triumph of good over evil—lending a philosophy to the festival.

Rituals of Holi

Rituals of the ancient festival of Holi are religiously followed every year with care and enthusiasm. Days before the festival people start gathering wood for the lighting of the bonfire called Holika at the major crossroads of the city. This ensures that at the time of the actual celebration a huge pile of wood is collected. Then on the eve of Holi, Holika Dahan takes place. Effigy of Holika, the devil minded sister of demon King Hiranyakashyap is placed in the wood and burnt. Children also hurl abuses at Holika and pray pranks, as if they still try to chase away Dhundhi who once troubled little ones in the Kingdom of Prithu. Some people also take embers from the fire to their homes to rekindle their own domestic fires.

Play of Colours

Next day, is of course the main day of Holi celebrations. The day is called Dhuleti and it is on this day that the actual play of colours take place. There is no tradition of holding Pooja and is meant for pure enjoyment. The tradition of playing colours is particularly rampant in north India and even in that region, there can be no comparison to the Holi of Mathura and Vrindavan. In Maharashtra and Gujarat too Holi is celebrated with lot of enthusiasm and fun. People take extreme delight in spraying coloured water on each other with pichkaris or pouring buckets and buckets of it. Singing Bollywood Holi numbers and dancing on the beat of dholak is also a part of the tradition. Amidst all this activity people relish gujiya, mathri, malpuas and other traditional Holi delicacies with great joy. Drinks, specially thandai laced with bhang is also an intrinsic part of the Holi festivity. Bhang helps to further enhance the spirit of the occasion.

Significance of Holi

In spite of being such a colourful and gay festival, there are various aspects of Holi which makes it so significant for our lives. Though they might not be so apparent but a closer look and a little thought will reveal the significance of Holi in more ways. Ranging from socio-cultural, religious to biological there is every reason why we must heartily enjoy the festival and cherish the reasons for its celebrations.

So when, it is time for Holi, people enjoy the festival to the hilt by participating with full enthusiasm in every small tradition related to the festival.

Mythological Significance

Holi gets us close to our religion and our mythology as it is essentially the celebration of various legends associated with the festival. These legends reassure the people of the power of the truth as the moral of all these legends is the ultimate victory of good over evil. The legend of Hiranyakashyap and Prahlad also points to the fact that extreme devotion to God pays as God always takes His true devotee under His shelter.

All these legends help the people to follow a good conduct in their lives and believe in the virtue of being truthful. This is extremely important in the modern day society when so many people resort to evil practices for small gains and torture one who is honest. Holi helps the people to believe in the virtue of being truthful and

honest and also to fight away the evil. Besides, Holi is celebrated at a time of the year when the fields are in full bloom and people are expecting a good harvest. This gives people a good reason to rejoice, make merry and submerge themselves in the spirit of Holi.

Social Significance

Holi helps to bring the society together and strengthen the secular fabric of our country. For, the festival is celebrated by non-Hindus also as everybody like to be a part of such a colouful and joyous festival.

Also, the tradition of the Holi is that even the enemies turn friends on Holi and forget any feeling of hardship that may be present. Besides, on this day people do not differentiate between the rich and poor and everybody celebrate the festival together with a spirit of bonhomie and brotherhood.

In the evening people visit friends and relatives and exchange gifts, sweets and greetings. This helps in revitalising relationships and strengthening emotional bonds between people.

Biological Significance

Festival of Holi is significant for our lives and body in many other ways than only providing joy and fun.

We also need to thank our forefathers who started the trend of celebrating Holi at such a scientifically accurate time. And, also for incorporating so much fun in the festival as Holi comes at a time of the year when people have a tendency to feel sleepy and lazy. This is natural for the body to experience some tardiness due to the change from the cold to the heat in the atmosphere. To counteract this tardiness of the body, people sing

loudly or even speak loudly. Their movements are brisk and their music is loud. All of this helps to rejuvenate the system of the human body. Besides, the colours when sprayed on the body have a great impact on it. Biologists believe the liquid dye or Abeer penetrates the body and enters into the pores. It has the effect of strengthening the ions in the body and adds health and beauty to it. There is yet another scientific reason for celebrating the Holi, this however pertains to the tradition of Holika Dahan. The mutation period of winter and spring, induces the growth of bacteria in the atmosphere as well as in the body. When Holika is burnt, temperature rises to about 145 degrees Fahrenhiet. Following the tradition when people perform Parikrima (circumambulation or going around) around the fire, the heat from the fire kills the bacteria in the body thus, cleansing it.

The way Holi is celebrated in south, the festival also promotes good health. For, the day after the burning of Holika people put ash (Vibhuti) on their forehead and they would mix Chandan (sandalpaste) with the young leaves and flowers of the Mango tree and consume it to promote good health. Some also believe that playing with colours helps to promote good health as colours are said to have great impact on our body and our health. Western-Physicians and doctors believe that for a healthy body, colours too have an important place besides the other vital elements. Deficiency of a particular colour in our body causes ailment, which can be cured only after supplementing the body with that particular colour. People also clean-up their houses on Holi which helps in clearing up the dust and mess in the house and get rid of mosquitoes and others pests. A clean house generally makes the residents feel good and generate positive energies.

Photo’s from Holi Mahotsav Celebrations at Darling Harbour organised by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Australia

Tradition of Holi

The colourful festival of Holi is celebrated by different names in this vast and culturally diverse country. The traditions followed for the festival varies a little and at times a lot as one moves from one state to other studying the various facets of the festival and getting behind the various colours of it. Nowhere it is celebrated with so much charm and enthusiasm as in Mathura, Vrindavan, Barsana and Nandgaon—the places associated with the birth and childhood of Lord Krishna. At Barsana Holi assumes the name of Lathmaar Holi. Here, women of Barsana give a tough time to men of Nandgaon as they come to play Holi with them. Women drag the unlucky captives, beat them, dress them in a female attire—yet all is in the spirit of Holi.

Women of Haryana, specifically the bhabhis too get an upper hand on the day as they get a social sanction to beat their devars and take a sweet revenge for all the mischiefs they have played on them. This revengeful tradition is called the Dulandi Holi. The most enjoyable tradition of Holi, of course, apart from the play of colours is the tradition of breaking the pot. It is celebrated with much enthusiasm in the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat. Here a pot of buttermilk is hung high on the streets. Men form a huge human pyramid and one on the top breaks the pot with his head. All this while women keep singing Holi folk songs and throwing buckets and buckets of water on them. The tradition has its roots in the mischievous nature of Lord Krishna who was so fond of butter milk that he used to steal it from every accessible house in the village. To hide the butter from young Krishna, womenfolk used to hang it high. All in vain!

Holi is celebrated in the most dignified manner in the state of Bengal. Vishwa Bharti University, founded by

Rabindranath Tagore started the tradition of celebrating Holi as ‘Basant Utsav’ or ‘Spring Festival’. Students decorate the campus with intricate Rangolis and carry out Prabhat Pheris in the morning. Clad in traditional attires young boys and girls sing songs composed by Gurudev and present an enchanting view to the onlookers who gather in large number here. In other parts of Bengal, Holi is celebrated as Dol Yatra where the idols of Radha and Krishna are placed on a decorated palanquin and taken out in a procession.

For Sikhs, Holi calls for the display of their physical strength and military prowess as they gather at Anandpur Sahib a day after Holi to celebrate Hola Mohalla. The tradition was started by the tenth and last guru of Sikh religion, Guru Gobind Singh Ji and is being religiously carried forward. In the north east, Manipuris celebrate the festival in a colourful manner for six continuous days. Here, the centuries old Yaosang Festival of Manipur amalgamated with Holi alongwith the introduction of Vaishnavism in the eighteenth century. The highlight of the festival here is a special Manipuri dance, called

‘Thabal Chongba’.

Different states, different cities and different villages have come out with their unique and innovative styles of playing Holi. Despite there being so much variance in the ways of celebrating Holi at different places, the spirit of Holi remains the same throughout. It is the festival which generates the spirit of brotherhood and bring people close—and this is what matters most than anything else.

*Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan

Source: www.holifestival.org

Photo’s from Holi Festival being celebrated in Rotorua, New Zealand

History of Rath Yatra--Stephen Knapp*

Jagannatha Puri, a town of 75,000, is one of the most important pilgrimage centers and one of the four holiest cities in India. These four cities are Badrinatha in the north, Dvaraka in the west, Ramesvaram in the south, and Puri in the east. Badrinarayan in Badrinatha was especially worshiped in Satya-yuga, Rama in Ramesvaram in Treta-yuga, Dvarakanatha in Dvaraka in Dvapara-yuga, but Lord Jagannatha in Puri can be worshiped by everyone in Kali-yuga. In fact, the importance of Jagannatha Puri, sometimes called Purushottama-Ksetra, is explained in the Uttarabhaga section of the Narada Purana. There we find it stated that simply by visiting Puri, which is rarely achieved except for those who have performed many pious acts, and by seeing the Deity of Jagannatha (Krishna), one can easily attain freedom from future births and reach the spiritual abode.

In the middle of this city is the large temple dedicated to Lord Krishna as Jagannatha, meaning “Lord of the Universe.” From the Skanda Purana we get information that the original construction of the first Jagannatha temple was in Satya-yuga, millions of years ago. It is related that Lord Jagannatha told Maharaja Indradyumna that He first appeared in the Svayambhuva Manvantara of the first part of Satya-yuga, on the full moon day, after being pleased by devotion. This is about 153 million years ago. Then Brahma installed the Deities in the temple. This appearance is celebrated by the Snana Purnima, or Snana-Yatra, which is the public bathing of Lord Jagannatha, His brother Balarama, and His sister Subhadra. The celebrated Ratha-Yatra festival is said to have started in the time of Svarochisha Manu, or the second Manvantara period, and is predicted to continue until the end of the second half of Lord Brahma’s lifetime. Even in the Ramayana by Valmiki Muni (Uttara Khanda) it is related that when Lord Rama was getting ready to leave this world he told Vibhishan, Ravana’s younger brother, that in His absence he should worship Lord Jagannatha, the Lord of the Iksvaku dynasty.

The Skanda Purana also fixes the date of the Ratha-Yatra festival, which should be celebrated on the second day of the bright fortnight in the month of Ashadha, a day called Pushyami Nakshatra by astrological calculations. The Padma Purana describes (as related in Sanatana Goswami’s Dig Darshini Tika to his Brihad-Bhagavatamrita) that in Purushottama-kshetra, or Jagannatha Puri, the supremely blissful Personality of Godhead pretends to be made of wood. In this way,

although the Lord takes on what appears to be a material form, it is completely spiritual by the causeless mercy of the Lord for the conditioned souls who cannot perceive the transcendental domain.

The main temple building, called Sri Mandir, was built in the 12th century by King Chodaganga Deva, though the site goes back much farther as described above. This is a huge complex where buildings house as many as 5,000 priests and assistants. The whole compound is surrounded by a thick stone wall 20 feet tall that encloses an area 665 feet by 640 feet. The wall has four large gates, one on each side. The additional smaller buildings were added after the 16th century. The main temple, which reaches 215 feet in height, is where we find the six foot tall Deities of Jagannatha, Balarama, and the shorter Subhadra. They stand on a five foot high throne facing the pilgrims as they enter the temple room. Outside the main temple hall are over 100 smaller shrines dedicated to the various demigods. There is an Aarti ceremony six times a day from 4 AM to 9 PM when devotees come in for Darshan of the Deities, in which they sing, chant, or worship the Deities in ecstasy. As many as 50,000 people come to the Jagannatha temple in a day.

The temple compound also has a huge kitchen, employing over 650 cooks and helpers who make hundreds of vegetarian preparations for the 54 separate offerings

that are given to the Deities every day. After the food is given to the Deities it becomes Prasada, or the Lord’s mercy. By taking such spiritually powerful food it is said that one becomes more and more spiritually surcharged and free from past karma. Much of the Prasada is sold or given to people who depend on the temple. Taking this Prasada at Puri is to partake in a tradition that goes back thousands of years and is considered especially purifying. It is said that only by Krishna’s grace does one get the opportunity to receive the remnants of food offered to Him.

The Appearance of Lord Jagannatha

The significance of Jagannatha Puri and the story of how the Deities first appeared goes back many hundreds of years to the time of King Indradyumna, who was a great devotee of Lord Vishnu. It is related that one time in his court the King heard from a devotee about an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, named Nilamadhava (Nilamadhava is the Deity form of Lord Vishnu). The King very much wanted to see this form of the Supreme and sent many Brahmanas to search for Nilamadhava. All came back unsuccessful except for Vidyapati, who did not come back at all. He had wandered to a distant town which was populated by a tribe of people known as Shabaras of non-Aryan heritage. He had stayed in the house of Visvasu, and later, at Visvasu’s request, married his daughter, Lalita.

After some time Vidyapati noticed that Visvasu would leave the house every night and return at noon the next day. Vidyapati asked his wife about this. Though her father had ordered her not to tell anyone, she told Vidyapati that Visvasu would go in secret to worship Nilamadhava. After repeated requests, Vidyapati finally got permission to go see Nilamadhava, only if he went blindfolded. But Vidyapati’s wife had bound some mustard seeds in his cloth so that a trail could be left to follow later. When they reached the shrine, Vidyapati saw the Deity Nilamadhava after the Shabara took off the blindfold, and he felt great ecstasy.

The story continues to relate that while Visvasu was out collecting items for worship, Vidyapati saw a bird

fall into the nearby lake and drown. The soul of the bird suddenly took a spiritual form and ascended back to the spiritual world. Vidyapati wanted to do the same and climbed the tree to jump in the lake. Then a voice from the sky declared that before he jumped he should tell Indradyumna that he had found Nilamadhava.

When Visvasu returned to worship the Deity, Nilamadhava spoke and said that He had accepted the simple worship from him for so many days, but now He wanted to accept the opulent worship that would be offered by King Indradyumna. When Vidyapati went back to tell the King, Indradyumna immediately went to find Nilamadhava but could not locate Him. So the King arrested Visvasu, but a voice told him to release the Shabara and that he should build a temple on top of Nila Hill where the King would see the Lord as Daru-brahman, the wooden manifestation of the Absolute.

After great endeavor, King Indradyumna built the temple at Sri Kshetra, now known as Jagannatha Puri, and later prayed to Lord Brahma to consecrate it. However, Lord Brahma said that it was not within his power to consecrate the temple since Sri Kshetra is manifested by the Supreme’s own internal potency and is where the Lord manifests Himself. So Brahma simply put a flag on top of the temple and blessed it, saying that anyone who from a distance saw the flag and offered obeisance would easily be liberated from the material world. Nonetheless, after much waiting the King became anxious since Nilamadhava had not manifested Himself. Thinking his life was useless, the King decided he should end his life by fasting. But in a dream the Lord said that He would appear floating in from the sea in His form as Daru-brahman.

The King went to the shore and found a huge piece of wood that had the markings of a conch, disc, club, and lotus. This was Daru-brahman. But try as they might, the men could not budge the wood. In a dream the Lord spoke to the King and instructed him to get Visvasu and put a golden chariot in front of Daru-brahman. After doing this and forming a kirtana party to chant the holy names, and praying for Daru-brahman to mount the chariot, Daru-brahman was easily moved. Lord Brahma performed a sacrifice where the present temple now stands and installed a Deity of Lord Narasimhadeva, the Deity that is now on the western side of the temple.

From the wooden Daru-brahman, the King requested many expert carvers to carve the form of the Deity, but none could do so for their chisels immediately broke when they touched the wood. Finally the architect of the demigods, Visvakarma, (some say the Lord Himself)

arrived as an old artist, Ananta Maharana, and promised that he would carve the Deity form of the Lord inside the temple in three weeks if the King would allow him to work behind closed doors. But after 14 days the King became very anxious because he could no longer hear the sounds of the carving. Finally he could stand it no more. On the advice of the queen he personally opened the doors of the temple to see what was happening. Then he saw the forms of Lord Jagannatha, Lord Balarama, and Lady Subhadra. But because the King had opened the doors sooner than he was supposed to, the Deities were not completed; Their feet and hands had not yet been carved. Thus, the Supreme manifested Himself in this form.

The King felt he had committed a great offense for having opened the doors before the allotted three weeks had passed, so he decided to end his life. But in a dream Lord Jagannatha told the King that though he had broken his promise, this was just a part of the Supreme’s pastimes to display this particular form. The King was told that this form, even though it appeared to be incomplete, was actually the form of the Lord that was meant to be worshiped in this age of Kali-yuga. Occasionally the King could decorate the Deity with golden hands and feet. Yet those devotees filled with love would always see the form of Lord Jagannatha as the threefold bending form of Syamasundara, Krishna, holding a flute. Thus, the Supreme appeared in this form so that people could approach and see Him, especially as He rides through town on the huge carts during the Ratha-Yatra festival.

The Ratha-Yatra Festival

Ratha-Yatra festival is the most popular time to go to Jagannatha Puri. Thousands upon thousands of pilgrims flock to Puri to take part in this auspicious event, which is said to have been celebrated for thousands of years,

making it one of the oldest and one of the biggest religious festivals in the world. This is the time when the Deities come out of the temple for all to see. It is also the time when as many as a million people gather in this small city with one purpose: to show their faith and devotion to God in the form of Lord Jagannatha.

The actual construction of the carts begins two months before the festival day, on the third day of the bright fortnight of Vaisakha (April–May). More than 600 trees, or 400 cubic meters of wood, are needed for the construction, taken from the local forests along the banks of the Mahanadi River. Using the same simple tools and procedures as they have for the past hundreds of years, once the basic elements are made, such as the wheels, then the actual construction begins only a few weeks before the festival. The construction crew works on them night and day, and everything gets ready the day before the festival.

In front of the temple huge stacks of wood are used to assemble the three chariots which will reach up to three storeys tall and will roll on wheels, each eight feet high. The chariots are painted with bright colours and the tops are covered with red, black, yellow, or green canopies. The colours signify which chariot is for which Deity. Lord Jagannatha uses red and yellow, Lord Balarama uses red and green, while Subhadra uses red and black. The Deities are also painted with particular colours that mean something. Jagannatha’s blackish colour represents faultless qualities; Balarama’s white colour signifies enlightenment; and Subhadra’s yellow colour signifies goodness.

Each cart is different. The cart of Lord Jagannatha is called Cakradhvaja or Nandigosha, which means tumultuous and blissful sound. Using 16 wheels, it rises 45 feet tall, and weighs 65 tons. It also carries a figure of Garuda on its crest, and is drawn by four white wooden horses. Balarama’s cart is called Taladhvaja, meaning the sound of significantly powerful rhythm. It has 14 wheels, and is drawn by four black wooden horses. It carries Hanuman on its crest. Subhadra’s cart is called Padmadhvaja or Darpadalan, which means destroyer of pride. It has a lotus on its crest, uses 12 wheels, and is drawn by four red wooden horses. After the Ratha-Yatra festival the wood from the carts is used as fuel for the big kitchen in the temple, which can last up to nine months.

About two weeks before the festival, the Deities of Jagannatha, Balarama, and Subhadra are given a ritual

bath, which is performed on the front main wall of the temple, which allows everyone to observe it from the street below, or one of the surrounding buildings. This is called the Snana-Yatra. After this They play the pastime of getting a cold. They are then taken to a designated area and given special treatments and offerings. They may also be repainted at this time. About every 12 or 19 years the bodies of the Deities are replaced with new ones carved from a ritualistically selected Daru-Brahman in the form of a nima tree. This is known as the Nava-Kalevarna festival. It occurs when there is a leap (additional) month in the Vedic calendar that appears between Snana-Yatra and Ratha-Yatra.

As the Ratha-Yatra festival draws near, thousands of pilgrims come to Jagannatha Puri, but as many as a million or more people may be in town on the day of the festival. The walk up the gangplanks to the platform on the cart and sprinkle holy water around while circumambulating it three times and chanting specific mantras for purification. Later, the priests bring out the small Deities that will also ride on the cart. When the big Deities are brought out, first there is Lord Balarama, then Lady Subhadra, and then Lord Jagannatha. Each time excitement suddenly fills the air and many men blow conch shells and bang on drums and cymbals to announce the arrival of the Deities at the main gate of the temple complex. Then the smiling face of Lord Balarama appears through the doorway and the crowd shouts and chants, “Jai Balarama. Baladeva ki jai!”

Daityas, strongly built men who lift the Deity, first

carry Lord Balarama then Subhadra and finally bring out Lord Jagannatha. All of these carriers are Daityas, members of the Dayitapati family who are descendants of Visvavasu. The festival parade also usually start in the morning and then stop at noon near the Jagannatha Vallabha Gardens where the Deities get offerings of food, worship, etc, from the many devotees. Many thousands of devotees surround the carts and the people in the front take up the long, thick ropes to pull the chariots down the main road to the Gundicha temple, where the Deities stay for a week. Sometimes the chariots mysteriously stop, though everyone is pulling hard. In fact, it is not unusual, as in the case of this festival, that a chariot may stop completely and stay there overnight and then continue the next day. Sometimes if there is difficulty, the local Government Minister will pray to Lord Jagannatha for forgiveness from whatever offenses the residents of the town may have committed. Then the chariots begin to move again as if they move only by the will of Jagannatha.

The Deities spend the first two nights on the carts outside the Gundicha temple, or wherever else They may be if They do not make it there the first night. The Deities are then taken inside the Gundicha temple only on the third night. After the Deities’ stay at the Gundicha temple, They return a week later to the main temple in a similar parade that is attended by fewer people.

Source: www.salagram.net, www.stephen-knapp.com

The world’s largesT core banking sysTem ToTal asseTs of aUd 374 bn, india’s global bank wiTh 89 offices in 32 coUnTries spanning all Time zones, commands nearly one-foUrTh of banking in an economy larger Than aUsTralia, markeT maker for indian rUpee exchange raTe, a bank UnToUched by global sUb prime crisis, bUsiness increased by aUd 77.69 bn, prime beneficiary of “flighT To qUaliTy, groUp profiT Up 68.11% in an enVironmenT of collapsing global banking, comforT of goVernmenT of india ownership, highly capiTalized bank, capiTal raTio aT 14.12%, Toxic asseTs aT a negligible 1.76% as on 31.3.2009, connecTing aUsTralia To india, “aTTracTiVe raTes for deposiTs”, finesT rUpee raTes in The markeT, rUpee markeT maker insTanT crediT To oVer 15,000 branches worldwide, The oldesT indian commercial bank, proViding banking since 1806, same day crediT To oVer 35000 oTher bank branches bank wiTh 84 offices in 32 coUnTries spanning all Time zones, markeT maker for indian rUpee exchange raTe,he world’s largesT core banking sysTem ToTal asseTs of aUd 374 bn, india’s global bank wiTh 89 offices in 32 coUnTries spanning all Time zones, commands nearly one-foUrTh of banking in an economy larger Than aUsTralia, markeT maker for indian rUpee exchange raTe, a bank UnToUched by global sUb prime crisis, bUsiness increased by aUd 77.69 bn, prime beneficiary of “flighT To qUaliTy, groUp profiT Up 68.11% in an enVironmenT of collapsing global banking, comforT of goVernmenT of india ownership, highly capiTalized bank, capiTal raTio aT 14.12%, Toxic asseTs aT a negligible 1.76% as on 31.3.2009, connecTing aUsTralia To india, “aTTracTiVe raTes for deposiTs”, finesT rUpee raTes in The markeT, rUpee markeT maker insTanT crediT To oVer 15,000 branches worldwide, The oldesT indian commercial bank, proViding banking since 1806,

same day crediT To oVer 35000 oTher bank branches bank wiTh 84 offices in

32 coUnTries spanning all Time zones, markeT maker for indian rUpee exchange raTe,he world’s largesT core banking sysTem ToTal asseTs of aUd 374 bn, india’s global bank wiTh 89 offices in 32 coUnTries spanning all Time zones, commands nearly one-foUrTh of banking in an economy larger Than aUsTralia, markeT maker for indian rUpee exchange raTe, a bank UnToUched by global sUb prime crisis, bUsiness increased by aUd 77.69 bn, prime beneficiary of “flighT To qUaliTy, groUp profiT Up 68.11% in an enVironmenT of collapsing global banking, comforT of goVernmenT of india ownership, highly capiTalized bank, capiTal raTio aT 14.12%, Toxic asseTs aT a negligible 1.76% as on 31.3.2009, connecTing aUsTralia To

PROVIDING BANKING SINCE 1806

FINEST RUPEE RATE FOR REMITTANCES

ATTRACTIVE INTEREST RATES FOR DEPOSITS

STATE BANK OF INDIA - SYDNEY BRANCH

Connecting Australia to Indiawww.sb i syd .com.au

Register on web site for Daily Forex Rates

state bank of india - sydney branchlevel 12, 234 george street, sydney nsw 2000

Tel : (02) 9241 5643 fax: (02) 9247 0536 info@sbisyd.com.au

◊ AttractiveInterestratesforDepositsupto8%

◊ India’slargestcommercialBankGroupwithover15,000Branches

◊ AvailfinestRupeerateforremittancesfromtheRupeemarketmaker

◊ India’slargestcommercialBankGroupwithover15,000Branches

Call Toll Free 1800 012 473

For NRI Services in India

Deposits are not covereD by Division 2 of banking act-protection of Depositors.

G aura Purnima celebrates the appearance anniversary of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. It is observed annually in late February,

early March by Krishna devotees all over the world—especially in the area of Mayapur, India, the place where He appeared in the year 1486. Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is Krishna Himself, appearing as His own devotee, to teach us that we can gain full enlightenment simply by chanting the holy names of the Lord:

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare

Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare

Those who witnessed the Lord’s pastimes saw Him dance and chant with ecstatic love for God, the likes of which had never been seen before.

Lord Chaitanya encouraged everyone to follow this same process. He taught that anyone—regardless of background or spiritual qualification—can develop their innate love of God and experience great spiritual pleasure by chanting the Hare Krishna mantra.

Gaura Purnima means “golden full moon,” signifying that:

(1) Lord Chaitanya was “born” during a full moon, and

(1) The Lord blesses everyone with the soothing, moonlike rays of His sublime teachings.

His followers generally observe this festival by fasting and chanting the holy names all day. At moonrise, a special multi-course feast is offered to the Lord and then enjoyed by all.

Who is Lord Chaitanya?

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu or Lord Chaitanya is an incarnation of Krishna who appeared in Nadia, West Bengal, India in the 15th century AD. His significance for those of us living in the modern world can hardly be overstated. When Krishna spoke Bhagavad Gita to his devotee-disciple-friend, the military commander Arjuna, on the battlefield of Kurukshetra around 3,000 BC, He exhibited all the power and majesty of God Himself. His final instruction to Arjuna was that surrendering to Him is superior to all other religious duties. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu appeared,

as predicted in the Bhagavad Gita itself: “Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religiosity, and a pre-eminent rise in irreligion, at that time I descend Myself.”

In His youth, Chaitanya was known as Nimai Pandit. He gained early fame as the world’s preeminent scholar of the Vedas, able to defeat by logic and argument any philosophical opposition. His mission was to popularize the public chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra. According to many references in the sacred teachings of the Vedas, chanting this simple mantra is the most highly recommended means of achieving spiritual perfection available in the modern age.

Essentially, Lord Chaitanya is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, appearing as His own devotee, teaching how to best practice Krishna consciousness by His own most authorized example. He debated with some of the most respected Vedic scholars of His day—Kesava Kashmiri, Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya, and Prakashananda Sarasvati. Chaitanya was able to convince each one of them that the worship of the Personality of God is superior to any other philosophical system.

He also challenged the religious establishment

Gaura Purnima

by emphasizing spiritual equality of all living beings, insisting that anyone can become a devotee of Krishna—and even a spiritual master—regardless of social position, caste, or even species. His unique position as Krishna appearing as His own devotee has another component, which is that He wished to experience the most sublime spiritual emotions of Srimati Radharani—Krishna’s own internal potency and greatest devotee. As a result of experiencing such uncommon spiritual ecstasy, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu often manifested extreme bodily symptoms that are almost unbelievable.

Gaura Purnima Festival

The annual Gaura Purnima Festival is the most exciting event of the year at Mayapur. Since Sri Mayapur is the transcendental appearance place of the Supreme

Lord Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir serves as the international spiritual headquarters for ISKCON. Srila Prabhupada desired all devotees to come to Mayapur at least once in a year as far as possible, to get charged with the unlimited mercy of Mahaprabhu, and Gaura Purnima is the best time to do this.

The festival officially begins after the ISKCON’s Governing Body Commission (GBC) meetings and festivities extend to about 3 weeks. But many devotees start to assemble at Mayapur even one week earlier, at the beginning of the GBC meetings. So, about one month before Gaura Purnima each year Mayapur gets flooded by devotees from all around the world and everyone is enjoying blissful Sadhu-sanga. First week senior and experienced leading Vaishnavas conduct Sat-sanga and other seminars organized by the Mayapur Institute. Award nights praise devotees for preaching endeavors such as congregational preaching and book distribution. Second week all devotees perform annual Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama. Third week is filled with festivities and cultural programs. Various cultural entertainment programs such as dance, drama, ISKCON cinemas, kirtanas, and bhajanas are performed every evening. A mini-market is set up for the devotees to procure unique Mayapur products, as well as other devotional items. Almost every day is dedicated to one major festivities event.

Source: www.krishna.com, www.gaurapurnima.com

The»High»Commission»of»India» in»Australia»have»created»a»special» section»on»Indian»Students»with»guidelines»and»advice»for»Students.

Please»visit»www.hcindia-au.org/students_guidelines.html

High Commission of India in Australia

IndiaTourism

Level5,GlassHouse

135,KingStreet,SydneyNSW2000

Ph:+61292219555;Fax:+61292219777

Email-info@indiatourism.com.au

IndiaTourism

Level5,GlassHouse

135,KingStreet,SydneyNSW2000

Ph:+61292219555;Fax:+61292219777

Email-info@indiatourism.com.au

AU024_Student_Ad_A4.pdf 1 27/01/2010 16:54